Reviewing pubs

[london calling]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.

[Mobyduck]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.

Personally I wouldn't review a pub I haven't stopped to have a drink in even if I have mistakenly walked into a pub with no real ale ,I'm not about to hang around. I know that many on this site want to do(tick) pubs regardless of the content and that's fair enough. For me ,I love finding new pubs , but they have to do good beer that I want to drink, in my case usually real ale, but I diversify , in short if I haven't had a drink in the establishment I don,t feel I could give a full review and wouldn't review it.

[sheffield hatter]

I've written reviews of many pubs that I haven't had a drink in, but I always make it clear that I didn't have a drink, and why I didn't have a drink, and I don't give a rating. So the answer to your question, "can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs" is "no", in my view.

[gillhalfpint]

Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.

[sheffield hatter]

Well that's me told then.

Perhaps you didn't see the last few words of my post: "in my view". So your view may be different, feel free to express it. I no more speak for the site than you do! We're all entitled to our views and this forum is where we express them. On another thread I applauded your efforts in going round all those unreviewed pubs in York - do you think I'm such a hypocrite that I'd have a go at you on a different thread? I merely expressed my opinion when asked, which is that I would review but not rate a pub where I walked out (for whatever reason) without having a drink. That's my view, and I wouldn't dream of imposing it on anyone else. (Hope you're enjoying the beer festival, by the way.)

[Strongers]

I've written reviews of many pubs that I haven't had a drink in, but I always make it clear that I didn't have a drink, and why I didn't have a drink, and I don't give a rating. So the answer to your question, "can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs" is "no", in my view.

I’ve not written many reviews without having a beer, but like SH I’ll always say why I’ve not had a beer. That said, I can remember rating a couple of pubs without drinking either because there was no beer, the service was outrageously rude or the place was a violent death trap.

Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.

I commend you for checking out places that you have little interest in and I see no problem with reviewing a pub that you haven’t had a beer in. I’ll drink anywhere, but if I have a limited time in an area reading a review that says that “there are only bottled beers” or “this is more of a restaurant but one can still sit at the small bar” I will give them the swerve in favour of a proper pub. I couldn’t care less whether the informant has had a beer there or not if it saves me wasting my time.

I think that the problem reviews are ones that start “I’ve never been in here but….”

So in answer to the original question, I think that there are no rules as long as the review is gospel.

[PaulOfHorsham]

Since the website is "Pubs Galore", there seems to be no reason at all why you should feel obliged to purchase before reviewing. I know that most of us have a preference for ale and the choice and condition varies and that is going to be a factor in deciding whether we wish to visit. However, casual visitors to the website may simply wish to know whether they can get a pint of Carling without being bothered by children, televisions or DVD sellers.

It seems to me lc, that, as long as what you contribute is fair comment, there's no obligation to buy at all, although you may want to say why you didn't stop for a drink.

[gillhalfpint]

Perhaps you didn't see the last few words of my post: "in my view". So your view may be different, feel free to express it. I no more speak for the site than you do! We're all entitled to our views and this forum is where we express them. On another thread I applauded your efforts in going round all those unreviewed pubs in York - do you think I'm such a hypocrite that I'd have a go at you on a different thread? I merely expressed my opinion when asked, which is that I would review but not rate a pub where I walked out (for whatever reason) without having a drink. That's my view, and I wouldn't dream of imposing it on anyone else. (Hope you're enjoying the beer festival, by the way.)

Sorry but it wasn't you Sheffield Hatter, it was the first thread on here that I felt was having a pop at me. I should have put the quote on when I replied. I was ok with what you said, honest.

Gill

[Mobyduck]

Is it acceptable to review a pub without having a drink in it.I will only drink in a pub that has beer I want to drink. When it has smooth keg or bland lagers I give it the elbow but when a pub is busy you can often have a wander round without troubling the bar staff.On Pubs Galore Is the first rule- there are no rules or can you rate a pub without trying the stuff that makes pubs pubs.

Well that's me told then. I am quite happy sticking with Good Beer Guide pubs in future where I know I will get a decent real ale. I thought I was doing the site a favour by going round all the central York pubs that had no review and checking them out, and putting what I found. If it is not what you want on here, fine. I didn't put a rating on any that I had no ale in as it happens anyway.

Sorry but it wasn't you Sheffield Hatter, it was the first thread on here that I felt was having a pop at me. I should have put the quote on when I replied. I was ok with what you said, honest.

Gill

Am I missing something here?
I thought the thread posed a straight forward question that has brought forth a few different thoughts on the matter ,and having read them tend to agree with most and possibly changed the way I thought about things. I saw no accusation's or finger pointing at all.

[gillhalfpint]

OK guys sorry if I was over sensitive on the matter and read it wrong. Will go and get some ale today in the proper pubs in York after 2 brilliant days with loads of decent beer at York beer festival.